Many of them have been physically removed from their birth families due to serious problems such as abuse and neglect.

Moving into a foster home can be hard enough. But for some, they’ve been in multiple foster homes over just a few years.

That’s where the annual Christmas gift give-away program provides a bright spot for many of these youngsters, said Brenda Durtschi, northern region manager for Utah Foster Care Foundation.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring from 60 Hill Air Force Base airmen who volunteered to deliver almost 500 gifts to 166 children living with 73 foster families, many of them in Northern Utah,” she said.

Gaby De Cabral told the airmen and Molina Health Care staff that bringing gifts for her recently-adopted daughter “means happiness in our home.”

The Russell and Daisy Fisher family also expressed thanks for the annual outpouring of gifts and support.

“Having these gifts for the little ones is a wonderful help to us in this challenging time,” said Russell Fisher, who recently lost his job.

Helping to deliver the gifts to the foster children is a “way to give back to the community who help support us,” said Master Sgt. Christopher Kisse. He is an Air Force recruiter.

“We are so grateful that each year, airmen from the base, Molina Health Care, and the Utah Foster Care Foundation come together to help bring back some of the lost magic and hope in the lives of children in foster care,” Durtschi said.